My new duck pals *pictures added*

[Miss Red]

Every time I've been to the feed store since Friday [ which is going to be an every day occurance this week, picking up supplies for the new run] I have been listening to the faint peeps of the ducks. I did get some week old chicks on Saturday, and remembered seeing a 'sick' little duck in there with all the bigger ducks. It was so SMALL compared to the rest. I have no idea if I grabbed two drakes, a drake and a hen, or two hens... but they are adorable!

I took them home and rinsed them off, the little guy had some strange stuff on his/her head. Now they're peeping up a storm and in my already crowded temporary brooder, which means I'm going to have to pull out the bigger tub tonight so no one starts a pecking war.

Is it normal for the ducks to completely take over the water? I had to remove the water bowl and take them to the tub, so they could get their swim out. Dried them off, put them back in, and back into the chicks watering dish! Ducks are so messy, any tips from the pros on raising calm/sane [Peking?] ducks.

I will post pictures first thing in the morning, or later tonight, depending on when I get the chance. Right now I'm letting them settle in and letting the chicks learn that they are not supposed to eat the little ducks, which already are 2x the size of the chicks. Can they be sexed yet? They're about a week old and three days old, I remember seeing the little guy as a hatchling in their Saturday.


I think I have a male and female Peking pair, not sure. But here's the pictures I promised!

 

[Amiga]

Well, congratulations!

I think water management has been the biggest challenge for me with brooding ducklings. It can be done, it just takes time to find the right setup for you and the ducks. And the ducks grow amazingly quickly, so something that works today may be too small in a few days.

Ducklings will take over the waterer and because of who they are, will muck it up. They don't mind, but I hear that chickens do mind, very much. Some have written about setting the chick waterer out of reach of the ducks. They will have to weigh in here and tell us just how they do that.

I use splash catchers under the waterers, which catch 80% to 90% of the splash - I also try to separate the bedding right around the waterer from the rest of the bedding somehow. In my case, I just make sure the towels aren't touching.

Bored ducks play more in their water. But I think they need to have water available 24/7 for at least their first six weeks.

When my ducklings were able to be outside and play in a tub, when they came in at night they were much less likely to splash around and make a mess.

Wifezilla has a very nice brooder setup - she is not the only one, though. Annarie has a pretty nice setup, and gryeyes has a really good way to allow ducklings to wash their entire heads (this is important) without making a complete mess.

Enjoy!

 

[Miss Red]

Well for now I've hung treats (apple sauce, yogurt, those tyes of things) and bells around the cage because I have an older chick who likes to lay with my cat toys. The ducklings are having more fun with it than Ducky, the chick. I hope she doesn't confuse her name for the ducks

So much to learn about ducks. The bigger brooder is finished, once pictures are uploaded I will post them with their chicky friends.